Not the both of them
by A.song.for.the.last.day
Summary: Stefan ran of with Katherine and now all Elena has left is the other Salvatore brother, Damon. But while they are growing closer to eachother, Katherine comes back. And she wants Damon too.
1. The return of Katherine

**Chapter 1**

' Hello Elena.' I hear coming from behind me.

Slowly I turn around and when I see the person that spoke to me, I gasp.

The first taught I have is that she just looks like me, the second taught is that I should run for my life.

But she keeps standing there, right in front of me, without the slightest movement.

' Did you lose your tongue by biting on it?' She asks, with a smile lingering on her lips. ' Oh no, that can't be, I would have smelled it.'

I'm still not able to say anything and my feet feel like they are glued down to the ground.

Now she starts moving, slowly she walks around me.

' Don't you know who I am, Elena?' She asks. ' Didn't the Salvatore brothers tell you anything about me?'

' I know who you are, Katherine.' I say, surprised that I found my voice and even more surprised that it's stabile.'

' Well, well, they did tell you.' She says, softly clapping her hands. ' But where are they when you need their protection?'

' Who says I need their protection.' I say.

' I do.' She says, then she comes at me, pulls open her wrist, and makes me drink her blood.

I cough, spit and try to pull my head away, but she is to strong and I have to swallow her blood.

Mad and scared, I clean my mouth with my hand, when she lets me go.

' I told you, you need their protection.' She says, smiling. ' Or don't they know that I'm still alive.'

' They found out a while ago.' I say, between my teeth.

' So, where are they?' She asks.

' I don't know.' I say.

' To bad.' She says. ' Probably they'll regret it, not staying around.'

Before I can say anything, she attacks, and snaps my neck. 

I wake up screaming.

Disorientated, I look around, not knowing where I am.

Then I recognize my own room and I realize that I'm in my own bed.

' It was just a bad dream.' I whisper to myself.

When my window flies open and something comes into my room with a supernatural speed, I scream again.

Then Damon is sitting next to me on my bed and I stop screaming.

' Elena, what's wrong?' He asks.

' Damon, what are you doing here?' I ask.

' I heard you scream.' He says.

' You heard me scream all into the boardinghouse?' I ask.

' I was in the neighborhood.' He says while slamming his eyes down. ' But what's wrong, why where you screaming like that?'

' I had a bad dream.' I say, silently.

' About Stefan?' He asks.

Surprised and shocked that he is thinking that, I slap him in the face, before I even think about it.

' How dare you to talk about him, you know I don't want to hear his name.' I say. ' And no it wasn't about him.'

I can feel the teardrops burning in the corners of my eyes.

' I'm sorry, Elena.' Damon says. ' But I think it would be good for you if you could talk about it.'

' About what?' I ask, starting to get mad. ' How he left me, about how he ran off with Katherine, about how he broke my heart?'

Thinking back about that, I start crying, even though it has been more than a half year.

Patiently, Damon puts his arms around me and pulls me towards him.

' It's ok Elena.' He whispers in my ear.

' No, it's not.' I sob. ' He is gone and there is no one that can protect me.'

I feel his body choke and I know I did hurt him by saying that.

' I'm sorry, Damon.' I say. ' I didn't mean it like that, I know you will protect me.'

' It's ok.' He says. ' But what was your dream about?'

' Katherine.' I say. ' She fed me her blood and then she killed me, and neither you or Stefan where around to save me.'

I start crying again and Damon hugs me, not knowing what to say.

' What if she comes back and she takes you with her to?' I ask.

' I'll never go with her.' He says. ' She'll never be able to take me with her.'

' You don't know that.' I say.

' Elena, I do know' He says, while putting my face between his hands and stares me right in the eyes. ' I love you.'

For a few seconds, I'm afraid that I'm going to drown in his beautiful blue eyes, then I put my eyes down.

' Damon.' I sigh.

' I know.' He says, while he removes his hands from my face. ' Trust me Elena, I know.'

' Can you leave, please?' I ask. ' I want to go back to sleep.'

' Ok.' He says, while he stands up from my bed and walks towards the window. ' I'll see you in the morning.

' Goodnight, Damon.' I say.

' Goodnight.' He says, then he is gone.

I lay my head back down on my pillow and close my eyes.

I'm almost falling asleep, when I hear the windy sound of a vampire entering my room.

' What now, Damon?' I ask, my eyes still closed.

' Not Damon, Elena.' I hear her say. 'It's Katherine and I came to get the other brother.'

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	2. I need you now

**Chapter 2**

Damon is back in my room before I can open my eyes, he probably heard her or me talking.

' Get out, Katherine.' He says.

' Well, Damon, it's nice to see you too.' She says.

' What are you doing here?' He asks.

' I came to get you.' Katherine answers.

' Then you will leave empty handed.' Damon says.

' But Damon, don't you want me anymore?' She pouts while walking towards him.

Softly she lets her finger slide over his jawbone.

Damon smacks her hand away from his face and looks at her with eyes full of hate.

' It could be just like the old times.' She says. ' You, me and Stefan, the three of us, happily together.'

' Leave, Katherine.' He says.

She smiles. ' I get it, you don't want to fall for me in front of her.'

She nods towards me.

' I'll come back for you when you are alone.' She says. ' But remember Damon, I won't give up this easily.'

Then she turns to me.

' You can have him, for now, just like you had Stefan.' She says. ' But in the end, I will have them both.'

' No, you won't.' I say.

' You'll see.' Katherine says, then she is gone, leaving us behind speechless.

' Are you ok?' Damon asks after a few minutes.

' I'm fine, she didn't do anything to me.' I say. ' But I told you, she would come to get you too.'

Damon sighs and sits down with me on my bed.

' And I told you that she wouldn't get me too.' He says.

' Just go with her, Damon.' I say. ' You know she will get what she wants eventually.'

' What a little confidence you have in me.' Damon says. ' I'm going nowhere, just so you know.'

' She will make our lives a living hell.' I Say. ' She won't stop until she gets you.'

' A little more positivism would be nice, Elena.' Damon says.

' Just go with her, it will make everything much easier if you go with her now.' I say.

Damon's jawbone tightens and I can see that he is getting angry.

' If you want me to leave, I will.' He says. ' But I won't go with Katherine.'

' I don't want you to leave.' I say silently.

' Than what do you want, Elena?' He asks with a hard voice. ' Do you want Stefan back, then you can wait a long time.'

When he sees my face filling itself with unbelief, he still goes on.

' He is gone, Elena.' He says. ' And he isn't coming back !'

Then I start crying again and he stops with telling me what is the cold, hard, truth.

' I'm sorry Elena, but I won't go with Katherine, because I care about you.' He says, while softly combing my hair with his hand. ' And you can't blame me for caring.'

' I'm not.' I sake. ' I don't blame you for caring.'

' I'm staying with you.' He says. ' And tomorrow you to school, I'll ask Bonnie and Caroline to keep their both eyes, wide open.'

' You can be pretty sweet if you want to.' I say.

' I know.' He says with a grin on his face. ' And now move your ass, then I can lay down to.'

He crawls with me underneath the blankets.

' Goodnight Elena.' He says, while turning his back towards me.

' Goodnight Damon.' I say.

Then it turns silent and I try to fall asleep, but my eyes are still wide open and I can feel Damon's presence.

It scares me that I'm longing to feel his arms around me.

' Damon?' I ask.

' What is it Elena?' He asks. ' I'm trying to sleep here.'

' I'm cold.' I say.

' Then take another blanket.' He says.

' I don't have another.' I say.

Damon sighs and turns back towards me.

' Come here.' He says, while reaching out his arms.

Carefully I crawl into his arms and I lay my head on his breast.

' Goodnight Elena.' He says softly.

' Goodnight, Damon.' I answer.

With the regular and calming sound of his breathing, I fall asleep.

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><p><strong>Review please :) <strong>


	3. A little bit of fun

**Chapter 3**

' So Katherine is back in town?' Bonnie asks.

' Yes, she is.' I Answer.

We are in Bonnie' car, on our way to school.

' And now she wants Damon too?' She asks.

' That's why she came back.' I say.

' I'm sorry , Elena.' Bonnie says. ' It must be hard for you.'

' Damon doesn't wants to go with her.' I say.

' He's damn right.' Bonnie replays. ' That little bitch has to learn she can't have everything she wants.'

' She'll chase down everyone I love and kill them.' I say.

' Oh no she won't.' Bonnie says. ' And if she tries, it will cost her a lot of headaches.'

The taut of Katherine going down on the ground because of Bonnie, makes me smile.

Probably the first smile in a while.

When Bonnie parks her car at school, Caroline is already waiting for us.

As soon as we get out of the car, Carline starts talking and before we are at our classroom, she told us everything she would want to do to Katherine. 

' I'll see you tomorrow, Elena.' Bonnie says.

' Yes, you will.' I say, when I get out of the car at the boardinghouse. ' Thanks for the ride.'

' You're welcome.' Bonnie answers.

Then I close the door and Bonnie drives away.

I start walking towards the front door.

Damon opens it before I am able to knock.

' Come in, miss Gilbert.' He says.

I smile and role my eyes to him while I get inside.

' Is there any news?' I ask.

' I didn't hear or see anything of the lovely miss Pierce today.' He says smiling.

I know he's trying to cheer me up, but it annoys me.

' Stop it, Damon.' I say.

He sighs. ' Come on, Elena, can't we have a little bit of fun?'

' You want to have fun?' I ask. ' Maybe you can start with thinking of ways to get Katherine out of Mystic Falls.'

Damon acts like he is considering it.

' Nah.' He says.

Then he walks towards the bar and pours in two glasses of whiskey.

' Drink.' He says, while putting a glass into my hand.

' Damon…' I start, but he turns on the music and starts to dance.

Annoyed I take a sip from my glass of whiskey.

I don't like it, so I put it on the table and then sit down.

' Won't you dance with me, Miss Gilbert?' Damon asks.

' No, I won't.' I say.

' Well, that's not very nice of you.' Damon says.

He pulls me up out of the couch.

' Damon, no.' I say.

But he starts twirling me around on the rhythm of the music.

I actually like it and start laughing.

Damon pulls me towards him and puts his arms around my waste when the music gets slower.

' Ah, I see a smile.' He says. ' A little bit of fun isn't that bad after all, is it?'

' No, it isn't.' I say.

His deep oceanic blue eyes are sparkling and I can't help myself from staring into them.

' Elena.' He sighs.

I smile when he says my name.

' You are a pretty good dancer.' I say.

' I know.' He says, doing that flirty eye thing of.

' Damon.' I sigh.

' I'm sorry, Elena.' He says. ' I know I'm not supposed to do that.'

I stop him when he wants to walk away from me.

' Don't be sorry.' I whisper.

He puts his hands on my cheek and our lips are getting closer to each other.

' I never can find you alone, do I?' Someone asks.

Damon and I both turn around and there is Katherine.

' I'm sorry for interrupting your little romance.' She says laughing.

' What do you want, Katherine?' Damon asks.

' You know what I want, Damon.' Katherine answers. ' I want you.'

' Then you know, you will walk away empty handed.' Damon answers.

' Come on, Damon, don't you love me anymore?' She asks.

' No.' He says, starting to get mad.

' Not even a little bit?' She asks pouting.

' I don't love you, Katherine.' Damon says. ' I don't love you, I don't like you, I don't even find you a little bit nice.'

' Serious Damon.' Katherine says.

' But you know what I do?' Damon asks. ' I hate you!'

' There's a thin line between hate and love, Damon.' Katherine says. ' You know that Stefan said the same thing at first.'

' Stop it.' Damon snares.

' Can't your friend over there handle that?' Katherine asks.

' Get out of my house, Katherine.' Damon says.

' Ok, I'll go.' She says. ' I'm having pretty much fun anyway.'

Then she's gone again.

' So much for a little bit of fun.' Damon says with a hard voice.

Then he takes the glass of whiskey and throws it into the fireplace.

' Damon.' I say startled.

I walk towards him, but he turns himself away from me.

' Damon.' I say trying to get in front of him.

When that doesn't work, I put my arms around him from behind.

' It will all be ok.' I say.

' No, it won't be.' He says.

' Damon, turn around.' I say.

' No, and let go of me.' He says.

' No, turn around.' I insist.

He sighs and then starts to turn around slowly.

I can see a teardrop on his face and I wipe it away with my hand.

' Don't.' He says, pushing my hand away.

' Damon.' I sigh again.

' You were right.' He says. ' She isn't going to stop before she gets what she wants.'

' So what do you want to do about it?' I ask.

' I can just as well go with her now.' He answers.

' You are not leaving me.' I say shocked.

' Why not?' He asks. ' You said it yourself yesterday.'

' That was yesterday.' I say.

' What's different now?' He asks. ' Why can't I go now?'

' Because.' I say, and then I kiss him.

And he kisses me back.

It's different from what I thought it would be, better.

His lips moving together with mine, feels perfect.

And it's just now that I realize, that I'm in love with Damon and probably I have been in love with him for a while.

' Oh my god.' I say, when our lips stop touching.

' What did that suppose to mean?' Damon asks, slightly shocked of me kissing him. ' You are not going to keep me here just by kissing me.'

' I know.' I say. ' But I know what will.'

' Tell me.' He says.

' I love you, Damon.' I say. ' And I'm not going to let you go with Katherine, not without fighting for it.'

He just stands there, shocked by what I just said, his eyes filled with unbelief.

' She isn't going to take you from me, Damon.' I say while putting his face between my hands. ' She can have Stefan, but she can't have you.'

' You say that now.' Damon answers. ' But what are you going to do when she wants to trade Stefan for me?'

Quickly I kiss him again.

' That isn't going to happen.' I say. ' I'm not trading you for Stefan.'

' But you love him, Elena.' Damon says.

' No, I love you.' I say. ' And I think it always has been you.'

Now his face grows mild and tender.

' I love you too.' He says.

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	4. The plan

**chapter 4**

' You kissed Damon?' Bonnie asks surprised.

' Yeah, that's what I just said, Bon.' I reply.

' And how was it?' She asks. ' Was it good?'

' It was great.' I say smiling.

We are sitting on a bench on school property, eating lunch and talking.

' But what about Stefan?' Bonnie asks.

' I don't know, Bon.' I answer. ' But I'm not even sure anymore if I actually did love him.'

' Elena, you cried for months about him.' Bonnie says.

There she has a good point.

' I know.' I say. ' But when I kissed Damon, it did feel so right.'

' You think he is the one?' Bonnie asks.

' I think it always has been him.' I say.

' Than don't let him go.' Bonnie says.

' I won't.' I reply.

' Elena Gilbert, what did I hear?' Caroline asks, as soon she sits with us at the table. ' Are Damon and you a couple?'

I laugh because of Caroline's reaction.

' We didn't make it official, but we kissed.' I answer her question.

' Was it good?' Caroline asks eager.

' Why do you always want to know those things?' I ask. ' And yes, it was perfect.'

' And what are you going to do about Katherine?' Caroline asks.

' Well, I have a plan, but I need the help of both of you.' I say.

' Spit it out.' Bonnie says.

' Well, Bonnie, do you know a spell that can protect a person against vampires, werewolves and people that are compelled ?' I ask.

' Accidently, I know one.' Bonnie answers. ' Who you want me to put it on?'

' Caroline, Jeremy, Damon, Aunt Jenna, Matt, actually everyone I love, if that's possible.' I say.

' That's no problem.' Bonnie says. ' I'll do it first thing when I get home.'

' Thank you, Bonnie.' I say. ' Caroline, can you contact Tyler for me?'

' I can try.' She says. ' But why do you need him.'

' I need him and a couple of his werewolf friends.' I say. ' Hopefully they will help me out and make a frontage against Katherine.'

' Wow, Elena, game on.' Caroline says. ' I'll see what I can do.'

' And I have to ask another thing from both of you .' I say. ' Don't tell anything to Damon.'

' We promise that.' Bonnie says. 

I just get out of the shower and am able to put a towel around my naked body before Katherine whips in.

' Hello Elena.' She says, with that playful voice of her.

' Hello Katherine.' I say, letting my voice sound bored.

I turn myself towards her and I see her smiling.

' What are you doing here?' I ask.

' I want to talk to you.' She says.

' About what?' I ask.

' About Stefan.' She says.

I role my eyes to her, not wanting her to see, she can hurt me with that subject.

' What about him?' I ask.

' Actually, I want to tell you how easily he came with me.' She says with a big grin on her face.

I don't say anything, in the hope she goes on and we can have it over as soon as possible.

' You want to know, Elena?' She asks.

I shrug. ' Even if I don't, you're still going to tell me.'

' You are right.' Katherine says. ' So, at first he didn't want to come with me, he even told me that he hated me.'

I keep looking at her, not showing her how much she's hurting me right now.

' But then I started to dig into memories, of me and him, happy together.' She continues. ' And I promised him it could be back the way it was between us.'

' Did you tell him that Damon is a part of that plan too?' I ask, raising my eyebrow.

' No I left that part out.' She says. ' But he got overboard and came with me.'

' Where is he now?' I ask.

She ignores my question and continues.

' Do you know how easy that was, Elena.' She says. ' It was almost if you didn't exist.'

I look at her, with eyes full of hatred.

' Even Damon is putting up a stronger fight than Stefan did.' She says. ' But remember Elena, I will get him to, the same way I got Stefan back.'

' You can have Stefan, but leave Damon alone.' I say with a hard voice.

' Oh, no Elena, I can't do that.' She says. ' And over that little stunt you pulled yesterday, after I left, it's not going to work.'

' It wasn't a stunt.' I say.

' I always get what I want , Elena.' She says. ' And right now, I want Damon.'

' Game on, Katherine.' I say.

' What does that suppose to mean?' She asks.

I shrug. ' You'll see, bye bye Katherine.'

She glares at me and then she is gone.

A few seconds later, I find myself sitting on the bathroom floor, crying. 

I manage to grab my cell phone and push on the speed dial button for Damon's number.

He doesn't even answer his phone, in a few seconds he stands with me in the bathroom.

' Elena, what's wrong?' He asks, while dropping down on the floor himself. ' What happened?'

' Katherine happened.' I say.

' Oh Elena, I'm sorry.' He says, while putting my towel back right. ' What did she say to you?'

' She was talking about Stefan.' I say. ' And how easily she got him to go with her.'

I start crying again.

' And then she said that she would do the exact same thing with you.' I tell him. ' And she said that she always gets what she wants.'

' She was trying to break you.' Damon says while hugging me.

' She did a pretty good job.' I reply.

' Don't say that, Elena.' He says. ' When did you start crying?'

' After she left.' I say.

' Than she didn't break you.' Damon says, trying to calm me down. ' It was just the tension of the moment.'

' So, what did you say to her that made her leave?' He asks.

' Game on.' I say.

' Game on?' Damon asks. ' What are you planning to do Elena?'

Startled I put my hands before my mouth.

' You are planning of doing something and you didn't want to tell me, isn't it?' He asks.

I nod. ' But I can't tell you right now, Katherine could hear it.'

' No fun, Elena.' We hear coming out of the window.

' Katherine.' Damon says.

' Just the person I wanted to see.' Katherine says.

' What do you have to say today, Katherine?' Damon asks.

' I'm still waiting until you are coming with me, Damon.' She answers. ' Then it could be just like the old times, where you and me were happy together.'

Damon laughs, a kill laugh.

' You mean, the time when you, me and Stefan were happy together.' He says. ' Forget it Katherine, I won't sign up for another ride on the Katherine carousel.'

' Why not, we had fun.' Katherine says. ' Or didn't we?'

' You where the one who had fun.' Damon replies, his jawbone all tightened. ' Watching me and Stefan fight over you.'

' Oh, I loved that.' Katherine says. ' But don't be so pessimistic Damon, we had our good times and our fun times, you know that too.'

' I don't want it, Katherine.' He says. ' I don't want to go back to how things where, I want to stay with Elena.'

' To bad.' Katherine pouts. ' Then I'll have to find another way to make you come with me.'

She turns her attention to me. ' Tell me, Elena.' She says. ' Is Jenna home, or Jeremy perhaps?'

' Both.' I say, trying not to smile.

In a flash she is gone and before even Damon realizes what she wanted to do, she's back in the bathroom.

' Why can't I touch them!' She screams frustrated. ' Why can't I hurt a single hair on their body.'

Surprised Damon looks at me.

' I told you, Katherine.' I say. ' Game on.'

Without even saying anything, she takes off, furious.

' Nice one.' Damon compliments me.

' Thank you.' I say smiling.

He doesn't smile back.

' Get dressed.' He says. ' We are going to the boardinghouse.'

He leaves the bathroom and I put my clothes on.

Then I comb my hair and I'm ready to go.

' Finally.' Damon says.

' Don't forget, I'm just a slow human.' I say, trying to make him laugh.

He doesn't even smile.

' Climb on my back.' He says. ' We'll run.'

' Can't we just take the car?' I ask.

' Running is faster.' Damon answers, while he hops me on his back.

' Ready?' He asks.

' I think so.' I say.

Not even a minute later, we are in the boarding house.

' Ok, running is faster.' I say, feeling a little dizzy.

' I told you so.' Damon says. ' So, what more are you up to.'

'Give me a pen and paper' I say. ' I'll write it down.'

In a few seconds, he is back with paper and a pen.

I asked Caroline to contact Tyler.

I write down.

I want him and some other werewolves to make a front against Katherine.

I write, because I see he doesn't get it.

Now he nods. ' Nice.'

I take a match and strike it, then I put the piece of paper on fire.

' A little bit more of enthusiasm would be nice.' I say.

' About what?' He asks. ' About the plan, or about you not being over Stefan yet?'

The pain that I can hear in his voice, makes me feel guilty.

And I hate myself for crying over Stefan, with Damon around me.

I just stand there, staring at him, not knowing what to say.

' Why didn't you tell me that you still love Stefan?' He asks bitterly.

' I don't.' I say. ' Or maybe I do, a little.'

' But, why didn't you tell me?' He asks.

' I don't know.' I say. ' I think I taught I was over him.'

' Well, what shall I say, Elena.' Damon says. ' I think you're not.'

' That I don't love him anymore doesn't mean I don't still care, Damon.' I reply, actually getting mad at him.

' Maybe, you just care a little too much.' Damon Says. ' I mean, being all sad about it, because Katherine lured you out.'

Now I'm really getting mad.

' Maybe you, mister I now it all so well, have to listen a little more carefully the next time!' I yell at him.

' What do you mean, Elena?' He asks with a hard voice.

' I told you what Katherine said.' I say. ' And it was not only about Stefan, she described me exactly how she was going to get you with her.'

I see the guilt showing on his face.

' I'm so sorry, Elena.' He says, hesitating to come to me.

' You think it's easy to hear her say that she wants you too, that's she's going to take you away from me.' I say with a broken voice.

' No, Elena, I don't think that.' He says, now he's coming to me and he takes me in his arms.

' I can't handle it to lose you to.' I say, trying to control my emotions.

' You won't lose me.' He says. ' I won't go with her and you have a great plan to get her out of Mystic Falls.'

' If it works.' I say, pressing my body to his ass much as possible.

' The first part did.' He says. ' Now we have to wait for news from Caroline.'

Then he gets a big grin on his face.

' What's there to laugh about?' I ask confused.

' I was thinking about the look on Katherine's face when she found out she couldn't hurt anybody.' He says. ' Oh my god, Elena, that was hilarious, seeing her not being able to do the thing she likes the most.'

His grin makes me smile to.

' It's nice that you like it.' I say.

' But next time, you tell me about it.' He says. ' No more sneaking around.'

' I promise.' I reply.

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><p><strong>Still working on the next chapter. Review if you want it. :)<br>**


	5. Game on

**Chapter 5**

The ringtone of my cell phone wakes me up.

Still half asleep, I answer it.

' Hello?' I ask.

' Elena, it's Caroline.' I hear her say. ' Where the hell are you?'

' In bed.' I answer.

' Don't you mean in Damon's bed?' Caroline asks. ' Because you aren't in yours.'

' Yeah, I'm at the boardinghouse.' I say. ' What are you doing in my room?'

' I contacted Tyler.' Caroline replies.

I immediately sit up straight when she says it.

' What did he say?' I ask.

' I'm coming over there.' Caroline answers. ' I don't want any eavesdropping when I tell you.'

' Ok, Caroline, then I see you in a few minutes.' I say, then I break the connection.

' Damon.' I say, poking him. ' Wake up, Caroline's coming.'

He moans, turns around and continues sleeping.

Actually I don't want to wake him, he's cute when he's sleeping.

Quickly I change my pajamas for my clothes and a few seconds later, Caroline is standing in the room.

I put my finger in front of my lips, as a sign that she has to be silent.

Then I point at Damon, who is still sleeping.

Caroline rolls with her eyes, then she smiles and follows me downstairs to the living room.

' So, what did Tyler say?' I ask.

' Do you have a pen and paper?' She asks. ' I told you, I don't want someone to eavesdrop.'

I give her a pen and paper and she starts writing.

_He has Jules and her friends with him and they want to make a front against Katherine._

_They are on their way to Mystic Falls on this very moment. _

_The only problem is that we need a concrete plan to lure her into the woods before tonight._

_Otherwise we'll have to wait until next month, because tonight it is full moon. _

I nod. ' Then we'll have to come up with something quickly.' I say.

I take the piece of paper and go back upstairs, to Damon's room.

' Wake up!' I say loudly, poking him again.

' Elena, what's the problem?' He asks with his eyes still closed.

' Just open your eyes.' I say. ' There's something I need you to see.'

' Is it important?' He asks.

I sigh, crawl back into the bed and sit down over him.

' It's me being naked.' I say.

Now his eyes fly open.

' You are dressed.' He says disappointed.

Before he can close his eyes again, I put the paper in front of him.

' Read this.' I say.

He takes it and reads it.

' Thinking about something?' He asks.

' No.' I answer. ' I'm going to need your help.'

I take the piece of paper and I burn it to ashes.

' Come downstairs with me.' I say. ' Caroline's here too.'

Damon dresses himself quickly before we go downstairs.

Caroline is sitting at the kitchen table, where three steaming cups of coffee are waiting for us.

' So, we need a plan, and we need it quick.' Damon says, while sitting down at the kitchen table. ' Any ideas?'

Caroline, who is taking little sips of her cup of coffee, shakes her head.

' Elena?' Damon asks, looking at me.

' I'm thinking of something.' I answer. ' But I think you and Caroline have to go check on any eavesdroppers first.'

They both stand up.

' We are right back.' Damon says.

Within a few minutes, they are sitting back on their chairs.

' There is no one outside, and we made a big circle around the house.' Caroline says. ' Now tell us, what are you thinking about.'

' Well, we have the wolves on our side and tonight's the full moon.' I start. ' So I was thinking luring Katherine into the woods, on a spot where we want to meet her.'

' But how are you going to get her in?' Damon asks. ' She isn't stupid.'

' I know, we'll have to make a deal with her.' I say. ' One she will not refuse.'

' And we know exactly what she will not refuse, don't we Elena.' Damon says smiling, thinking the same thing I'm thinking.

' We'll offer her to trade you for Stefan.' I say. ' And if she accepts, we will meet in the woods, where we are waiting for her with the wolves, and then she can choose.'

' What has she to choose about?' Caroline asks.

' She can choose to leave us alone or to die.' I say, with a big smile on my face.

' Damn, Elena, nice.' Caroline says.

' Thanks, Car.' I say. ' Can you tell the plan to Tyler and the others?'

' I'm right on it, Elena.' Caroline replies. ' Let me know when Katherine accepts and at what time we have to be there.'

' I will.' I say, while Caroline stands up. ' And again, thank you.'

' You're welcome.' Caroline answers smiling, then she is gone.

' And what do we do now?' Damon asks.

' I have another plan.' Elena says. ' But only as few as possible people can now it, so I want to keep it between us.'

' What is it, Elena.' Damon asks, not totally comfortable.

' I want you to feed me your blood.' I say.

' No!' He says with a hard voice, standing up. ' I will not make you a vampire, Elena, not because of this.'

Surprised with his reaction, I walk towards him and put my hands around his waist.

' I'm not asking you to make me a vampire.' I say, gazing into his eyes. ' I'm asking you to feed me your blood.'

' Why do you want me to feed you my blood, if you don't want me to change you into a vampire?' He asks confused.

' To be sure, that if she pulls a trick and tries to kill me before the wolves can come to action, I will still be alive again.' I answer. ' I want to be sure that I can still be with you after tonight.'

I can read from his face that he is confused, he is thinking it over but doesn't know what to decide.

' Damon, please.' I beg, putting my hands around his face and softly kissing his lips. ' Just to be sure.'

' I will feed you some of my blood, right before we leave.' He growls. ' But only because I love you.'

' I love you to, and thank you.' I say. ' And now, we have to go find Katherine.'

Damon pulls me back when I start walking away.

' First, you have to kiss me, for being such a good boyfriend.' He says.

I smile and he winks at me.

I kiss him passionately and I don't want to let go of him anymore, but I know I have to.

We let go of each other and take a step back.

' Do you know where to find Katherine?' I ask.

' No, but we will go search for her.' Damon answers.

Then we leave to find Katherine and to set or plan in motion. 

We find Katherine at the Grill, drinking shots of tequila.

' I'm getting company.' She states. ' Of my two bested friends in this miserable place of Mystic Falls.'

' Don't act that way, Katherine.' Damon says, while he sits down on the crutch next to Katherine.

I sit down on the other side of Katherine.

' What brings you two here?' She asks. ' Don't you two lovebirds have something better to do?'

' We came here, because we have a proposition for you.' I reply.

She turns herself towards me, her eyes prying on me. ' Tell me.'

' I want to trade Damon for Stefan.' I say. ' You give me Stefan, then you can have Damon.'

She laughs out loud. ' My dear Elena, I want them both, not one of them, so I won't trade.'

I shrug. ' Then, it's your lose.

I start standing up from my crutch when she stops me.

' You are serious about this, Elena?' She asks. ' You actually want to trade Damon for Stefan.'

I nod. ' Yes, that is what I want.'

' Where and when?' She asks.

' Tonight, 11.00 P.M. in the woods, by the old Lockwood property.' I reply.

Now she starts laughing again.

' You think I am stupid Elena, don't you?' She asks. ' It's a full moon tonight, I'm not going into the woods with a full moon.'

' Are you afraid of something, Katherine?' I ask, pushing her to agree or walk away.

' It's a full moon, Elena.' She says. ' And a full moon equals werewolves.'

Now I am the one who is laughing.

' There are no more werewolves in Mystic Falls.' I giggle. ' Tyler and Jules are long gone.'

' And you are telling me that you don't know where they are?' Katherine asks suspicious.

' I don't have the slightest idea.' I lie smoothly. ' Even Caroline didn't hear anything of them anymore.'

Now she turns towards Damon.

' What do you think about this trade?' She asks. ' How do you feel about the fact that your sweetest Elena wants to trade you for your own brother.'

' I'm ok with it.' Damon answers seriously. ' I love her and I want her to be happy and if I have to go with you in order for her to be with Stefan, I will.'

Katherine sighs, takes another shot of tequila and drinks it.

' Ok, I'll do it, I'll trade Stefan with you for Damon.' She says. ' Tonight, at the old Lockwood Mansion, 11.00 P.M.'

' It's a deal.' I say.

' And if you want to excuse me, I'll have to go get Stefan for tonight.' She says. ' I'll see you then.'

She stands up and walks out of the grill.

The moment she's outside, I take my cell and text Caroline the time and the place.

I get a text back that the wolves are going to be there, but they are going to hide themselves until I call them out.

' Are you ready for this?' Damon ask.

' I am. ' I say smiling, giving him a quick kiss on his cheek. 

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	6. The transition

**chapter 6**

I'm stumbling through the woods with my flashlight, trying to keep up with Damon, who is walking right in front of me.

We are on our way to the old Lockwood property, where we will meet Katherine in half an hour.

Caroline texted me that she and the wolves are already there.

Everything is working out as we had planned, including Damon's blood that is now running through my own body.

' Can you keep up with me?' Damon asks.

' I'm trying.' I say.

He slows down and starts walking next to me.

' Are you nervous?' He asks. ' I can hear your heart race inside of your chest.'

I nod. ' I'm just hoping that she shows up.'

' I think she will.' Damon sooths me.

I take his hand and the rest of the walk we remain silent.

Even though I'm not supposed to, I can't help it to be excited about seeing Stefan again.

Even though he left me for Katherine, I did miss him the whole time he was gone.

As soon we arrive at the old Lockwood property, Caroline walks towards us.

She points at the basement of the old Lockwood mansion, as a sign that the wolves are hiding there.

' The door's open.' She whispers. ' They come out when you call them.'

I nod. ' Ok, Caroline, thank you.'

' You are welcome, Elena.' She smiles. ' But I'm going now, I don't want to run into Katherine.'

The moment Caroline is gone, Damon takes me in his arms and he kisses me soft, but passionately .

' Whatever happens, I will always love you.' He whispers in my ear.

' I love you too.' I reply, resting my head onto his shoulder.

' Please, go rent a room or something.' I hear Katherine say behind me.

Quickly I turn around, expecting to see Stefan stand right next to Katherine.

But the only one I see is Katherine and I can't help it, I start looking around for Stefan.

' Did you really think I would bring him with me?' Katherine asks laughing. ' I'm sorry Elena, I don't agreements, I only get what I want.'

' Where is he?' I ask disappointed. ' Where is Stefan?'

' Only I know that, Elena.' She replies with a big grin on her face. ' And I'm not going to tell you.'

' Where is he?' I ask again, louder this time.

' Let's get to the point why I did actually come here.' She says. ' I want Damon, right now and you are going to give him to me, right now.'

' And if I don't?' I ask.

' You'll see.' She says threatening.

' Tyler!' I scream.

Katherine doesn't know what is happening at first, but when she sees the wolves coming her eyes widen.

Then she smiles, an evil smile that gives me goose bumps over my entire body.

' Nice one, Elena.' She says, then she attacks me and snaps my neck. 

' What happened?' I ask when I wake up. ' And where are we?'

' We are at the boardinghouse.' Damon answers.

' Can you keep it down, my head hurts.' I say, looking around the room. ' And why are the curtains closed?'

' To keep the sunlight out, the sun is almost coming up.' Damon answers.

' I'm hungry.' I say. ' Can you get me something to eat?'

He puts a bag of blood in front of me. ' You can eat this, Elena.'

I frown, I don't get it. ' Why the blood?' I ask.

' Because you are in transition, Elena.' He says. ' Katherine snapped your neck.'

Amazed, I look at him, then I look at the bag of blood, hesitating I take it out of his hands.

' You can drink it, that will complete the transition.' He says. ' But only if you want to.'

' I want to.' I say, while bringing the bag of blood to my mouth.

Carefully I take a sip and when the first drop of blood rolls on my tongue, I like it.

The bag is empty in less than a half minute.

' Can I have some more?' I ask.

Damon gives me a second bag.

' Slowly.' He says. ' That is the last one you can have for now.'

This time I drink the blood slowly, but it feels incredibly good to get it into my system.

' What happened?' I ask again, when the second bag of blood is empty.

' What do you remember?' He asks.

' She didn't have Stefan with her.' I say. ' And then I called Tyler.'

' That is the last thing you remember?' Damon asks.

I nod.

' She got scared when the wolves came out.' Damon says. ' She tried to run, but first she snapped you neck.'

' Did she get away?' I ask.

' Tyler bit her.' Damon says smiling. ' It's her own fault, if she didn't take the time to kill you, she wouldn't been bitten.'

' So, she is dying now?' I ask.

' They say a werewolf bite is deadly for a vampire.' Damon answers. ' So she is probably dying.'

' She deserves it.' I say.

' I know.' Damon says.

I look around when I hear a sound, but I can't figure out where it comes from.

' You can hear the cars.' Damon says. ' On the road.'

' But the nearest busy road is a few miles away.' I say.

' As a vampire, you can hear it.' Damon says. ' It's a vampire thing.'

I smile. ' I like it.'

He looks at me, his face filled with unbelief.

' Don't say that, Elena.' He says. ' Don't tell me you like it, that you like to be a vampire.'

' But I do.' I reply. ' What's so bad about that?'

' Because it's my fault that you are a vampire now.' He says. ' I did feed you my blood, I let you accomplish your plan, and now you are a vampire, because of me.'

' Why are you saying this?' I ask confused. ' I taught that you would be happy.'

' Happy because I made you a vampire, Elena?' He asks. ' No I am not, in fact I should have never fed you my blood.'

His words make my heart break, even though it isn't beating anymore and I feel the tears burn in the corners of my eyes.

' Then I would be dead right now, Damon.' I say with a broken voice. ' Did you rather see me dead?'

' No, Elena, I didn't mean it like that.' He says, startled. ' I meant that I should not have approved the whole plan, because it was too dangerous and see what happened now, you are a vampire Elena, because of me.'

' You don't have to feel guilty, Damon.' I say. ' It was my own choice and I knew the risks.'

' I should have stopped her, I should have protected you against her.' He says with a bitter voice.

' Damon, stop blaming yourself.' I say, while crawling on his lap. ' If you tried to stop her, she would probably have killed you, what did I have to do then.'

' She wouldn't have killed me, Elena.' He says. ' She probably would have hurt me pretty bad, but she wouldn't have killed me.'

' I don't want to see you getting hurt.' I say. ' So stop feeling guilty, you have nothing to blame yourself for.'

He sighs. ' No, I have.'

' Shut up.' I say, pressing a kiss on his lips.

He kisses me back, his lips move together with mine, it's the best kiss we have ever chaired.

When he let's go of me, he smiles.

' What's funny?' I ask.

' Nothing funny.' He answers. ' It's just that I don't have to be incredibly careful with you anymore, now I can kiss you like I always wanted to, without hurting you.'

' See, me being a vampire isn't that bad after all.' I say. ' You already found an advantage.'

' You'll have to learn a lot.' He says.

' I have you as my teacher.' I reply. ' And I think I have the best teacher that someone can imagine.'

* * *

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	7. Goodbye

**Chapter 7**

A knock on the door makes us break our kiss.

' I think that's Bonnie.' Damon says.

' What is Bonnie doing here?' I ask.

' You'll see.' He says, while walking towards the door.

Bonnie walks in, and almost runs towards me when she sees me.

' Elena, are you ok?' She asks worried.

' I'm fine, Bon.' I say. ' Stop stressing out.'

My whole body tightens when she hugs me.

' Bonnie, don't, young vampire over here.' I say. ' Still learning to control myself.'

She lets go of me and smiles. ' I'm sorry.'

' She's doing pretty good, if you ask me.' Damon says, while putting an arm around me.

' I have something for you.' Bonnie says.

Confused I look at Bonnie, then my eyes go to Damon's face and again back to Bonnie.

' What is it?' I ask, impatient.

Bonnie takes a ring out of her pocket and gives it to me.

At first I look at it, not knowing what the meaning of the ring is, but then I start to get it.

Quickly I put the ring around my finger and an enthusiastic smile appears on my face.

' Thank you, Bon.' I say, still smiling. ' Thank you so much for doing this for me.'

' You are my best friend, Elena.' She says. ' I would do anything for you.'

' But how did you know that I needed it?' I ask.

Bonnie looks at Damon and my eyes are resting on his face too.

' I called her as soon Katherine snapped your neck.' He says. ' I knew you would come back as a vampire and in order for you to go outside, you need this ring.'

' Thank you.' I say again.

' Thank you, Bonnie.' Damon says.

' You take good care of her.' She says to Damon. ' I have to go now, school is starting in half an hour.'

' Can I come with you?' I ask.

' No, you can't.' Damon says. ' Sorry, Elena, but it would be too soon, too dangerous.'

' I understand.' I say disappointed, but I know that he is right.

' Bye, Bonnie.' I say.

' I'll drop of your homework later.' she says. ' Bye.'

Damon lets her out and then he goes down to the basement.

He returns with a bag of blood.

' Breakfast.' He says.

I take the bag of blood and start taking little sips.

' How long until I can go back to school?' I ask.

' It depends, but I think you can go back pretty soon.' He says.

' But what if I go and I hurt somebody?' I ask, starting to panic.

' You are not going to hurt somebody, Elena.' Damon says. ' You already resisted Bonnie, while you were hungry, so you already have pretty good control over yourself.'

A little bit soothed, I finish my bag of blood.

' So, what are we planning on doing today?' I ask.

' We are going outside.' Damon replies.

' Out?' I ask. ' Outside, where people are?'

' I'm with you, Elena.' He says. ' You won't harm anyone and we are going to the woods, there won't be a lot of people there.'

' I think that is ok.' I say.

' We are going to have a fun time, Elena.' He says. ' I still have to teach you how to be a vampire.'

I smile and kiss him gently.

' Can I have some more breakfast?' I ask.

' We'll share a bag.' He says.

He walks to the basement, takes a bag of blood and starts drinking from it, then he gives it to me.

' Leave something in it for me.' He teases.

I take a sip from the bag and give it back to Damon.

' Are you ready to go?' He asks when the bag of blood is empty.

' Let's go.' I say.

He takes my hand and we walk out of the boardinghouse.

It's amazing outside, I can see everything in detail, my eyes are much better as a vampire then when I was a human and I can hear sounds from miles away.

Damon wraps his arm around my waist when I gasp.

' It's incredible.' I say.

' I know.' He says while his finger is running up and down my back.

I let a soft moan escape, enjoying the feeling of his finger running up and down my spine.

Then he takes my hand and intertwines his fingers with mine.

' Let's run to the woods.' He says.

I look at him, hesitating, not knowing how to run as fast as him.

' Just run and don't let go of my hand.' He says. ' It's easy, you'll see.'

We start running and he was right, it's easy and I like it.

Disappointed I look at him when we stop in the woods.

' Why such a pouty face?' He asks. ' Didn't you like it.'

' I liked it too much, I'm disappointed because we are already here.' I reply.

He smiles and gives me a quick peck on my lips.

' You are unbelievable.' He says.

Then we walk further into the woods and I don't know where to look at first, there is so much life in the woods, more then I could have ever imagined.

We are walking for several hours when Damon stops me and his entire body tightens.

' What's wrong?' I ask, but I can feel my own body tighten up too, I only don't know why.

' It's to quite.' Damon whispers. ' Listen carefully, Elena.'

When he says it, I notice it too, a lot of the sounds that were around us a few minutes ago, are now gone.

Crickets aren't chirping anymore, there is no more buzzing of insects and the birds stopped singing their song.

We look around, trying to find out where whatever is threatening us, is hiding.

Then I see a sudden movement behind a three and my eyes flash towards it.

' It's just me and I'm not planning on harming you.' A weak, familiar voice says.

Katherine pops up behind the three and starts walking towards us.

Damon takes a protecting position in front of me.

' Damon, you don't have to protect her, I'm not planning on harming her.' She says. ' Either on harming you.'

' What do you want, Katherine?' Damon asks.

' I want nothing.' She says. ' I only wanted to say that I let Stefan go.'

Damon's body tightens, quickly I put my hand on his back to calm him down.

' Where is he?' Damon asks.

' I don't know.' Katherine says softly. ' I let him go and I don't know where he went.'

' He isn't in Mystic Falls?' Damon asks.

' He could be here, Damon.' She says. ' I told you, I don't know where he went.'

' Does it hurt?' Damon asks. ' The werewolf bite?'

' Yes, it hurts, it hurts like hell, Damon and I know I'm going to die.' She says. ' And there is no cure for it.'

I see Damon's jawbone tighten, not because he's mad , but because he pity's her.

' I just want to ask you for your forgiveness, the both of you.' Katherine says. ' I'm so sorry for all the things I have done, to make your lives such a hell.'

She is not just saying it, she really means it and I can't help it but forgive her.

' I forgive you, Katherine.' I whisper.

' Thank you, Elena.' She says softly.

Then her eyes go to Damon, who remains silent.

' Damon?' She asks.

' Katherine, I …' He says, with a raw voice.

It hurts me how he is looking at her on this very own moment, I can see that he still cares about her and I can't blame him for caring about someone, even if it's about Katherine.

I know he only hated the actions she made, but he didn't hate her, he didn't hate the person herself, he didn't hate Katherine.

Knowing that I put my arms around his waist, kiss him gently on his lips and hug him for a few seconds.

' I'll leave you alone, so you can say your goodbyes.' I whisper in his ear. ' I love you.'

Then I take off and starting running back towards the boardinghouse, leaving Damon behind with the girl who meant everything to him so many years before.

* * *

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	8. Stefan

**chapter 7**

I'm laying on Damon's bed, waiting for him to come back out of the woods.

My heart is bleeding, even though it isn't beating anymore, but the look on Damon's face when he found out that Katherine is dying, broke my heart to pieces.

But I can't blame him for caring, even if it's Katherine that he cares about, it would be selfish to blame him for it.

I know they have a history together, even though it hasn't always been a good one, they had their moments when it actually was good.

I start out of my thoughts when Damon walks into the room and lets himself fall down onto the bed.

Slowly I turn myself towards him and I notice that he's crying.

' Damon.' I whisper.

' I'm sorry, Elena.' He says. ' I'm sorry for hurting you.'

' You don't have to feel guilty.' I say while pushing myself up on my elbow so I can see his face. ' I know that you still care.'

' But I'm not supposed to care about her, not after everything she has done to me, to Stefan and to you, especially to you.' He says, teardrops still dropping of his face.

' You can hate the acts, but don't hate the person, Damon.' I say, while wiping the tears of his face.

' She left.' He says. ' After I said goodbye, she took off.'

' I'm sorry.' I say, while putting my hands around his waist. ' It's my fault she's going to die.'

' Don't blame yourself.' Damon replies. ' It's better this way.'

He kisses me softly on my lips.

' I love you so incredibly much, Elena.' He says, his beautiful deep oceanic blue eyes gazing into mine. ' I couldn't stand it if I had to lose you too.'

' You won't lose me.' I say. ' I love you.'

When I wake up the next morning, Damon isn't in bed anymore.

I hear his voice coming from downstairs, it's calm, but I can hear the madness in his voice coming trough.

The other voice that I hear is familiar to me, but I can't figure out yet who it belongs to .

I sit straight up in bed, listening to what they are saying.

And after a few minutes it hits me, that the other voice belongs to Stefan.

For a few seconds I remain on the bed, not able to move my body, then I run downstairs.

Both boys look at me when I appear in the kitchen, where they are sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a cup of coffee.

Speechless I look at him, at Stefan and he looks at me, with his beautiful green eyes, that used to make my whole body ache.

Now the fact that he is only looking at me, makes me mad, no not mad, furious.

I walk towards him, in a few big steps I'm there.

' You.' I his, then I slap him in the face and run away.

' Elena!' I hear him yell, while I'm already out of the boarding house, reaching the woods.

' Stefan don't, I'll go.' I hear Damon say to him.

I don't stop running until I'm deep into the woods, then I sit down on an old tree stump.

It doesn't take long before Damon is with me.

' Elena?' He asks. ' Are you ok?'

' What do you think yourself?' I cry out. ' What the hell is he doing here?'

' He came to tell me that Katherine's dead.' Damon sighs. ' And he wants a chance to explain himself to you.'

' I don't need an explanation from him.' I say with a hard voice. ' I want him to go.'

' It's his house too, Elena.' Damon says, while he sits down next to me. ' And I think you should hear his explanation.'

I look at Damon, startled.

' I know that he did hurt you.' Damon says. ' But you really should hear him out.'

' I'll give him a chance to explain.' I give in. ' But only because you asked me to.'

Damon smiles and takes my hand. ' Let's go.'

Together we walk back to the boardinghouse.

Then I walk to the kitchen, where Stefan still is sitting at the kitchen table.

I sit down across him.

' I'm sorry for your cheek.' I say. ' It surprised me that you were here.'

' I think I did deserve that one.' He sighs.

Damon walks into the kitchen and hands me a bag of blood.

' Breakfast, honey.' He says, while putting a quick peck on my cheek. ' I'll leave you two alone to talk.'

I look at Stefan, who doesn't seems to be surprised, Damon probably already filled him in.

Damon walks back out of the kitchen and I start drinking the bag of blood.

' The human stuff?' Stefan asks.

I nod. ' You weren't around to teach me how to catch an animal.'

' I can learn you now.' He offers.

I shake my head and take another sip of my bag of blood. ' No, thank you.'

He keeps his mouth shut and I sit there, looking at him, waiting until he is finally going to say something.

' Elena.' He sighs. ' I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you by leaving with Katherine.'

' That was an unsuccessful attempt, Stefan.' I say. ' You did hurt me.'

' I know and I'm sorry.' He says. ' But I only wanted to protect you.'

' Protect me from what?' I ask.

' From Katherine.' Stefan replies.

' Don't lie to me, Stefan.' I cry out. ' Katherine told me how she got you to come with her, and it didn't need a lot of effort.'

' What did Katherine tell you?' Stefan asks, calmly.

' She said that she only had to bring up the good memories of you and her and you went overboard, you did go with her and left me alone.' I say with a broken voice.

' And you believed her?' Stefan asks, smiling.

' Yes.' I say. ' And why are you smiling, there's nothing funny about this.'

' She lied to you.' Stefan explains. ' She threatened to hurt you, Jeremy and all your loved ones.'

' I don't care, Stefan.' I say. ' I didn't even know she was in town, I found out when you were already gone, Damon had to tell me.'

' She didn't give me the time to come and say goodbye.' Stefan sighs. ' I only wanted to protect you.'

' So were where you when she came to get Damon?' I ask. ' You didn't came to protect me then, even though you did know that she wanted you and Damon both.'

' She injected me with vervain and locked me up.' Stefan says.

' Then how the hell did you get out?' I ask, totally confused right now.

' She came back to free me when she got the werewolf bite.' He says.

' And I just have to believe you?' I ask.

' You don't have to believe me if you don't want to.' He says. ' But, Elena, think carefully, would I ever lie to you?'

I look at him, at his face that is totally honest and at his green eyes , where I can't find a sign that he's lying.

' I still love you, Elena.' He whispers. ' I would never lie to you.'

' I know you wouldn't.' I say with a broken voice, teardrops burning in the corners of my eyes. ' I believe you.'

' I missed you so much.' He says, while he stands up, comes to me and puts his arms around my waist.

For a few seconds I let his arms comfort me, then I free myself and walk to the other side of the kitchen.

' I'm with Damon now, Stefan.' I say, tears are now rolling down my face.

' I know, I'm sorry.' He says. ' I didn't mean to upset you.'

' Just leave me alone for a little while.' I say, then I walk out of the kitchen towards Damon's room.


	9. The break up

**Chapter 8 **

Stefan's green eyes are right in front of me and I can't manage to get the picture off of my visual.

Feeling guilty, there are still dropping tears out of the corners of my eyes.

I'm feeling guilty towards Damon, because I'm crying over Stefan again, even though he is right here, in this house, right now.

And even though he did hurt me, I can't manage to hate him, because I don't.

I come back into reality when Damon knocks on the door and walks into his room.

He sighs when he sees me crying.

' Did he upset you?' He asks.

' I'm just a stupid cry baby.' I reply. ' He didn't do anything wrong.'

' I think the two of you need to have a little bit of bonding time.' Damon says.

I look at him, surprised.

' How do you mean?' I ask.

' Well, tomorrow the two of you are going to spend a day together.' Damon says. ' I want you two to be friends.'

' Are you coming to?' I ask.

' No, Elena, just you and Stefan.' Damon answers. ' I trust you.'

I feel a smile appear on my face.

' You are the best.' I say while I quickly kiss his lips.

' I know.' He replies, smiling. 

So the next day I'm on a trip with Stefan.

' Were are we going?' I ask, sipping on my bag of blood, my breakfast.

' You'll see.' He says, smiling. ' It's a surprise.'

He is driving the car and although I'm nagging about where we are going for a few hours, he doesn't wants to tell me.

' Are we almost there?' I ask, getting bored of the drive.

' Yes, we are almost there.' He replies patiently.

After an extra half hour, we stop at the border of a wood, I don't know which one and I don't know where we are.

We get out of the car and start walking into the wood.

' Where are you taking me?' I ask.

' I want to show you something.' He says. ' But we have to walk for a little.'

We remain silent during the entire walk, until we reach the point that he wanted to show me.

My mouth drops open, and I can't help but staring at the beautiful scene in front of me.

There is a huge waterfall in front of me, surrounded by lots of threes, flowers and all sort of plants, with in the middle a small lake.

' It's beautiful.' I manage to say.

' I taught you would like it.' Stefan says smiling.

' I do.' I say. ' It's breathtaking.'

Stefan takes my hand and pulls me towards a tree trunk where we sit down.

He looks at me for a little while, when I'm eying the beautiful area that is surrounding us.

' Can is ask you something?' He ask.

' What do you want to know?' I ask, looking at him.

' What did you feel, the time that I was gone?' He ask.

Startled, I look at him, not knowing what to say.

' You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to.' He says.

' I felt sad, at first.' I start. ' Then I felt mad and then sad again.'

He is listening to me intensely, so I go on.

' I cried for months about you, Stefan. ' I couldn't believe that you left and I expected you to walk through the door any moment.'

' And now you are with Damon.' Stefan concludes. ' When did that happen.'

' Don't be that bitter, Stefan.' I say. ' He has been there for me the whole time you where gone, he fought for me and I fell in love with him.'

' You are in love with my brother?' Stefan asks.

' Yes, I am in love with Damon.' I reply.

' And do you love me?' Stefan asks.

I wasn't prepared for that question, and I remain silent for a while.

' I don't know.' I finally answer. ' I really don't know anymore.'

' Then, let's find out.' He says, while leaning into me.

Before his lips can touch mine, I'm already several meters away from him.

' Don't try to do that again.' I say, a little bit mad. ' I'm with Damon now, Stefan.'

' Ok, I won't try it again.' Stefan says, while walking towards me. ' I'm sorry.'

' I want to go.' I say. ' Can we go?'

' Where do you want to go?' Stefan asks.

' Back to Mystic Falls.' I say.

' So, our trip is over?' He asks, sounding disappointed.

' We'll go hang in the grill.' I say.

That brings a smile to his face and we walk back towards the car.

We chat about a lot of things while driving back to Mystic Falls.

At the grill, we play pool, just like the old times and I'm having fun.

This day brings back a lot of memories, nice memories, of me and Stefan.

It's already getting dark outside when we get back home.

I fix myself a bag of blood before going to the living room, where Stefan is waiting for me.

' Can I ask you something too?' I ask.

' You can.' He says.

' What did you feel when you where gone?' I ask.

He sighs and comes towards me, then he takes my hands and intertwines his fingers with mine.

' I felt guilty, for leaving you.' He says. ' And I missed you, Elena, I missed you like hell.'

I sigh when he lets his finger caress my cheek.

' And I love you, Elena.' He whispers. ' I always have and I always will.'

Then he leans in to me again and I don't try to stop him this time.

While I'm gazing into his beautiful green eyes, his lips come closer to mine.

They are just a few inches away from each other when Damon walks into the living room.

He sees us, I can see his jaw drop and then he turns around and walks back out of the living room. 

' Damon!' I cry out, while going after him.

I manage to stop him in the hallway.

' I'm sorry.' I say. ' I didn't mean to kiss him, I wasn't going to kiss him.'

' That wasn't what it looked like, Elena.' Damon replies.

' I know, I'm sorry.' I say.

' Don't be sorry.' He says, not getting mad or anything. ' If you want to be with Stefan, then I'll accept that.'

' But I want to be with you.' I say with a broken voice.

He lays his hands on my shoulders and looks me right into the eyes.

' Are you sure of that?' He asks, softly.

' I,… I don't know.' I admit, not able to look him in the eye.

' Then I'm going.' Damon says.

' No, don't go.' I say. ' I don't want you to go.'

I put my arms around his waist and try to hug him.

But he stops me and frees himself from my arms.

' Elena, don't try to kiss me, don't try to hug me, don't even try to touch me.' Damon says. ' Just tell me if you love Stefan.'

' Yes, I still love Stefan.' I whisper.

' Then I'm leaving.' He says again, starting to walk upstairs.

And again I stop him.

' Don't leave.' I say with teary eyes. ' I love you too.'

I can see the tears that are burning in the corners of his eyes.

' I love you too, Elena.' He cries out. ' I love you so incredibly much, but I don't want the same thing that happened with Katherine.'

Now I am speechless.

' I'm done fighting, Elena, I can't do this anymore.' He says. ' And because I love you, I'm leaving, so you won't have to make a choice.'

Then he walks upstairs, leaving me in the hallway.

A few minutes later, he's back, with his suitcases in his hands.

' Goodbye, Elena.' He says, while a teardrop is running over his face.

He kisses my forehead and then he is gone.

I feel Stefan putting his arms around my waist.

' It's better this way.' He whispers in my ear.

* * *

><p><strong>Review if you liked it :) <strong>


	10. 10 Forgive me

Chapter 10

' Elena, go and find Damon.' Stefan sighs. ' It's been a half year now since he left and you are not happy.'

' I'm happy.' I say, trying to put a smile on my face, simply wrapping my arms around him.

The truth is, I'm not happy.

I'm missing Damon every day, more and more and I can't forget about him.

I miss the way he kisses me, the way he smells, his eyes, his voice, I just miss everything about him and I can't manage to move on.

' Don't lie to me.' Stefan says, while removing my hands from him back. ' You are not happy, I can see it in your eyes, Elena.'

' I miss him.' I admit. ' But that I miss him, doesn't mean that I'm not happy.'

' Go find him.' Stefan says. ' It's clear you love my brother a lot more than you love me.'

' I did never say that.' I whisper. ' Stefan, you know that's not true.'

'Yes, it's true, Elena, if you don't believe me, then go find him and find out for yourself.' He says. ' I also know that is always has been Damon.'

' How do you know that?' I ask stunned by what he just said.

' Because you can't even bring a smile onto your face anymore since he is gone, not a real one.' Stefan says. ' And if you love him, then you have to go find him.'

' Ok, I'll go find him.' I give in. ' But I have no idea where he is.'

' Maybe Bonnie can help you.' Stefan says.

' Thank you, Stefan.' I say, then I grab my jacket and my purse.

I run out of the boardinghouse towards my own house, where I start searching for a shirt of Damon.

It doesn't take me long to find one, I never putted his stuff far away.

With the shirt I leave the house again and I find my way to Bonnie.

' Bonnie, you have to help me.' I say, when she opens the door.

' You want me to find Damon for you, don't you?' Bonnie asks, seeing right trough me.

' Yeah, how do you know?' I ask, stunned that it's so obvious to everyone that I love Damon.

' Because I knew you would be standing on my doorstep someday to ask me .' Bonnie says smiling. ' And the shirt that you have in your hand explains a lot already..'

I laugh. ' So you want to help me?'

' Everything to make you happy, Elena, what are you waiting for, come in.' She says.

I step into her house and we go upstairs, to her room.

There she takes her stuff and Damon's shirt and does the location spell.

As soon as she found where he is, she gives me the location.

' I'll text you if he goes somewhere else.' She says before I leave.

' Thanks Bonnie.' I say, while hugging my best friend. ' Thank you for everything.'

I jump into the car and start driving.

The whole two hour during ride, I get more excited about seeing Damon again, but I'm scared too, what if he doesn't wants to see me?

He never answered the call's I made to him and I have the idea he is still disappointed in me.

However, the fact that he's just two hours away from me, makes me think he never went far and he was always there to protect me if I really needed him.

When I get to the address that Bonnie gave me, I find a pub.

The fact that Bonnie didn't text me, makes it clear to me that Damon should still be in there.

When I'm at room 414 I take a deep breath and knock on the door.

I park my car on an empty parking spot, then I get out and walk into the pub.

It doesn't take me long to find him, he's sitting at the bar, drinking shots of a liquid that isn't hard for me to recognize, tequila.

He didn't see me yet, so I start walking towards the bar.

The moment he hears footsteps coming his way, he turns around and the expressions he gets on his face make me feel good, but they also scare me.

He looks surprised, I can see the love he feels for me in his oceanic blue eyes, then I see the pain he is been feeling and the disappointment.

' Damon.' I whisper, knowing he can hear me.

' Elena.' He says soft and calm. ' What are you doing here?'

' I came to find you.' I answer. ' Damon, I'm so sorry.'

' For what?' He asks. ' For choosing my brother over me, again?'

He orders another shot of tequila and he throws the liquid into his throat.

' There's nothing between me and Stefan anymore.' I answer. ' I can't forget about you, Damon, I missed you.'

' And for how long isn't there going to be anything between you and Stefan, Elena?' He asks with a hard voice. ' For how long are you going to play with me this time before you run back to him?'

' Damon.' I say startled. ' I love you.'

' Yeah, I've heard that before.' He says.

' Damon, stop being such an ass.' I say, feeling the tears burning in the corners of my eyes.

' Why, Elena?' He hisses. ' Because it's hurting you? Because you don't like it when I'm acting this way?'

' Yes, Damon!' I cry out. ' It hurts me!'

' Well, then you can feel, what you've made me feel.' He says with a hard voice. ' And I'm not planning to go through that again.'

He jumps off of his chair, takes his jackets and throws some money on the counter.

' I would like it if you didn't came to find me anymore.' He says. ' Goodbye Elena.'

Then he starts walking to the door.

' Damon!' I yell, with tears running over my face. ' Don't you care anymore?'

In a second he stands in front of me and he's holding my head in his hands.

' I still do care, Elena.' He sighs while looking me in the eye. ' You still mean the world to me, but if you want me as bad as I want you, you'll have to prove it to me.'

He puts his finger on my lips when I want to say something.

' Please understand, Elena.' He whispers. ' I just want to be sure that you really love me and that you won't give up on me, no matter what happens.'

Then he presses a sweet kiss on my cheek and before I can even say his name, he's gone.

Disappointed I run outside, but I can't see him anywhere anymore.

I wipe away my tears and with my chin up high, I walk back towards my car.

This time I will fight for him, this time I'll show him how much he means to me.


	11. the end

I call Bonnie to do the location spell again.

I've been thinking about how to prove to Damon that I love him and I came to the conclusion that there was just one simple thing to do it.

No surprises, nothing gigantic, just a simple, small gesture.

It will be all or nothing.

Bonnie text me the address of the hotel where Damon is staying.

It's not far from the pub, where I'm still sitting, so I walk outside and decide to leave my car where it's standing and walk to the hotel.

When I arrive there, I ask the lady who's sitting behind the desk what room Damon is in.

Then I take the elevator upstairs, to the highest floor and start to search for his room.

I knock on the door when I arrive at his room, he's home, I can hear him standing up from whatever he was sitting on.

I hold my breath and count the steps that he takes to the door, I exhale when the door opens and I see a pair of oceanic blue eyes looking at me.

' Elena.' Damon says.

' Can I come in?' I ask softly.

' Why should I let you in?' He asks.

' Because I have to tell you something.' I answer.

' Then tell me here.' He replies. ' And after that I'll decide if I let you in or not.'

I raise my eyebrow and sigh.

' And…' Damon says impatiently.

' Damon, I can't promise you that I'll never hurt you anymore.' I say. ' Not because I'm planning on hurting you but because I don't know what will happen in the future.'

' But I love you, Damon, I really do.' I move on. ' And if this isn't enough, if you still don't trust me enough, then the fairest thing for both of us is if I walk away and let you go, so we can both try to move on.'

He looks at me for a while, stunned by what I just said.

' Elena…' He sighs.

I can see in his eyes that he did forgive me.

' Oh, shut up already.' I say, before I push him back into the room and kiss him.

He kisses me back, it doesn't take him long to pull out my shirt and once it's out, he throws me on the bed.

Then he jumps on me and starts kissing me again, my mouth, my ear, my neck, my collarbone and further down…


End file.
